KARACHI, March 29: The 8,800MW nuclear power target by 2030 assigned to Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) is within its reach. Six sites are being studied throughout the country for location of these plants.

This was stated by Chairman PAEC, Anwer Ali while talking to the media after the Kanupp Institute of Nuclear Power Engineering 2007 convocation held here on Thursday.

He said the estimated capacity of each plant would be 1000MW, as the joint maintenance and operations of the plants is easy and economical, if they are of similar size.

He said that Karachi was likely to get more nuclear power plants in the vicinity of the existing KANUPP.

Apart from KINPOE, PAEC has established Pakistan Institute of Applied Science and Engineering (PIASE) at Islamabad, a nuclear training centre at CHASNUPP, a computer training centre in Islamabad and a graduate programme at Bio-Technology Institute Faisalabad.

A message of Sindh Governor, Dr. Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan, was also read out on his behalf by Member Power PAEC, Zia-ul-Hassan Siddiqi.

Appreciating the multi-disciplinary programme of PAEC, he commended its efforts in various socio- economic domains including defence.

Vice Chancellor NED University of Engineering and Technology, Engineer Abul Kalam conferred Degrees of Master of Nuclear Power Engineering on 82 graduates of Karachi Institute of Nuclear Power Engineering while the Chairman PAEC awarded medals and merit certificates to first three position holders of batches XI and XII.

In his introductory address, Director KINOPE, Khalid Mahmood Bukhari informed the institute dates back to 1973, when Karachi Nuclear Power Training Center (KNPTC) started offering one year training course in nuclear power engineering.

It started two-year MSc Nuclear Power Engineering Degree program since 1993. The institute has so far churned out 328 MSc graduates, 322 post-graduate diploma holders including 1,282 skilled technicians.—APP